KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian prosecutors have released video of what they say is the bombing in Monaco that seriously injured tycoon Vadym Yermolaiev and his family.
The June 30 attack deeply shook the discreet and ultra-wealthy principality on the Mediterranean coast. The motive remains unclear. The case has involved investigators in Monaco, France and Ukraine as well as international police agency Interpol.
The suspected perpetrator, Anastasiia Berezovska, was found dead in Ukraine a few days later. A Ukrainian military intelligence officer confessed to killing her, but said he acted on his own and without the knowledge of his superiors, according to the Ukrainian Security Service, known as the SBU.
In the video provided to The Associated Press on Saturday, a person with a hat and carrying a bag is seen placing an object in the entryway of a building, and then walking away. A man, woman and child are climbing the hill in the background. The three approach the entryway, and a blast is heard, while the video turns into a blur.
Ukrainian chief prosecutor Ruslan Kravchenko said in a Telegram post that the video came from a surveillance camera installed by the suspected perpetrators to ensure that the attack took place. He said that the images were initially deleted but specialists from the SBU were able to restore them.
The Monaco prosecutor’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the video or the status of the investigation.
Yermolaiev’s lawyers released a letter this week accusing Ukrainian security services of organizing the explosion, and urging protection for his family.
In his letter, provided to French media, Yermolaiev said the Ukrainian military intelligence agency was directly involved in an attempt to assassinate his family. Yermolaiev wrote that he remains hospitalized, his partner Anna has ″irreversible″ injuries, and their 13-year-old son had burns and fractures.
Unusually, the letter thanks Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for his personal attention to the case and for unspecified assistance, according to the French media reports.
Yermolaiev was sanctioned by Zelenskyy’s government in 2023 for his ties to Russia, and has said he renounced his Ukrainian citizenship. Zelenskyy has not commented about whether he helped in the case.
